1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a material for a magnetic head slider, the magnetic head slider, and a method of producing the material for the magnetic head slider.
2. Related Background Art
A magnetic head slider incorporating a thin-film magnetic head was first used in a hard disk drive in 1979, and the magnetic head slider at that time is commonly called a mini slider (100% slider). The magnetic head sliders have been downsized through a micro slider (70% slider) having the size of about 70% of the mini slider to a nano slider (50% slider) having the size of about 50% of the mini slider.
Such magnetic head sliders are normally constructed with a laminate incorporating a thin-film magnetic head on a substrate. The magnetic head sliders of this type are obtained by laying the laminate incorporating the thin-film magnetic head, on the substrate to form a laminated structure, thereafter cutting this laminated structure in parallel with the stack direction to form an exposed surface of the thin-film magnetic head, and lapping (or polishing) the exposed surface to form an air bearing surface.
In the production of the conventional magnetic head sliders, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below, a high-strength sintered body consisting primarily of alumina and titanium carbide, so called an AlTiC sintered body, is used as the substrate of the magnetic head slider.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. SHO 57-82172